READ THE CITIZENS' VOICE

Digital Only Subscription
Read the digital e-Edition of The Citizens' Voice on your PC or mobile device, and have 24/7 access to breaking news, local sports, contests, and more at citizensvoice.com or on our mobile apps.

Digital Services
Have news alerts sent to your mobile device or email, read the e-Edition, sign up for daily newsletters, enter contests, take quizzes, download our mobile apps and see the latest e-circulars.

Article Tools

A guilty plea hearing for former Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Executive Director Fred DeSanto, scheduled for today, has been rescheduled after heavy snowfall caused the cancellation of Luzerne County's slate of court cases.

DeSanto's guilty plea hearing on diversion of services charges has been rescheduled until Feb. 27 at 9 a.m.

DeSanto, an authority employee for three decades and its executive director since 1998, illegally diverted more than $30,000 in authority resources from 2004 to 2012, prosecutors allege. He abruptly quit his $116,084 post Aug. 27, 2012, just before authority officials were scheduled to interview him for an internal probe.

DeSanto has been a longtime administrator of the Pennsylvania Little League District 16/31 and has a field in Pittston Township named after him.

A police investigation revealed DeSanto ordered 22 WVSA employees to perform work for the league, costing the authority $29,311; had authority employees perform work for the Pittston Township Recreation
Association at a cost of $695 to the authority; and that he mailed an average of 165 pieces of Little League mail a year with the authority's postage machine, costing $449.

Although the offenses took place for more than 20 years, DeSanto is only charged with diverting more than $30,000 during the period of 2004-2012 due to the statute of limitations.

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.